1940
New Orleans Voodooist Salvadore Laurie is shot and killed by his
brother in law. When police catch up to the suspect, he freely admits
to the crime, citing revenge for a Voodoo curse place on him by Laurie
as the reason. The brother in law recieved life in prison.

+++

1943
New Forrest, England Wiccan and Neoapagn Gerald Gardner, fearful that
another Neoapagan, Adloph Hitler, might win World War II, begins to
sacrifice members of his own coven. The oldest member is chosen to be
sacrificed, using a poison . The poison was said to be "Fly Agaric",
commonly known as "Spanish Fly", which although used as an aphrodisiac,
can be leathal in large doses.

Two other members also alegedldy died from "exposure". Supposedly
the sacrifices continued until it began to take a serious toll on the
coven numbers, and Gardner, the creator of Wicca, claims he recieved a
message from the gods themselves not to sacrifice any more members.
Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again (unless you're
sacrificed?). The story came out a couple of years after Gardner's
death by two independent sources, and the surviving members of
Gardner's coven never denied the story. Gardner told writer
Francis King that the sacrifices were done in such as was as "to avoid
legal unpleasantness". Wiccans who acknolwedge the story dismiss it as
neccesary to win WWII. One might think all the thousands of Allied
soliders and two atomic bombs had something to do with it, rather than
some Brits murdered out of ridiculous superstition! And didn't the
prayers of millions of Christians count for anything???

+++

1945
Quinton, England Charles Walton was found murdered in a ritualistic
way, involving witchcraft. When his body was found on 2-14-45,
villagers were shocked at the scene of the brutal and ritualistic
murder. Charles' trouncing hook was embedded in his throat, his body
was pinned to the ground by his pitch fork, and a large cross was
carved into his chest. Previous cases documented include people
murdering those they believe have put them under a spell. In these
cases, the victim - believed to be the witch or warlock that cast the
spell - was often given the sign of the cross by the person taking
their revenge. Police think that someone thinking they had been hexed
by Walton murdered him to "break the spell".

+++

1949
Brooklyn, NY Raymond Hernandez did a dumb thing (well, several dozen,
actually)...he stole a suitcase at a train station and got a year in
prison in Talahasee, FL. His cellmate was a Hatian who turned him on to
Voodoo. Hernadez became convinced he had Voodoo powers and even
claimed he was a "hougan" (voodoo priest). After his release, he began
to write dozens of letters to "lonely hearts" clubs where, through the
mails, he began to seduce gullible females who were looking for men.
Once he gained their trust, he would steal money, jewelry, checks;
whatever he could embezzle, then dump them. The victims were ususally
too embarrassed to complain to the police. Hernadez married one victim
and killed her on a Honeymoon in Spain, making it look like an
accident. One victim, Martha Beck, actually became his partner in
voodoo and crime and wife #3. Raymond was still married to a woman in
Spain at the time. Martha not only gave her children away to the
Salvation Army at Raymond's request, she helped him swindle and kill
other women he married. Three murders later, they got
caught. Their 44 day trial was the stuff tabloids reporters dream
of. Tales of three way strip poker, of Martha murdering a victim with a
ball peen hammer, and dozens of lonely ladies taken to the cleaners.
When Martha told the court about certain sex acts in voodoo
rituals, two dozen cops had to control with the crowds that
tried to push their way into the courtroom. They were both found
guilty and recieved the death penality.

+++

1953
Chile 27 y.o. Juana Catrilaf, a Pagan, belonged to the Mapuche Indian
tribe. South American Indian mythology is ripe with tales of blood
sucking demons and witches, and a history of bloody human sacrifices.
Catrilaf is charged with the murder of her grandmother whom she said
was a "machi" - a sorceress. Catrilaf blamed her grandmother for the
death of her infant son, and for the epilepsy that troubled her for
several years. Using the shamanistic remedies for the situation, she
clubbed the old woman, slashed her forehead, and sucked some of her
blood. Catrilaf claimed she felt a "firey demon leave her body". Her
indian tribe was pleased with the results. Catrilaf was acquitted for
the human sacrifice due to a law in Chile that recognizes justifiable
homocide due to "irresistable psychic forces". Imagine if the U.S.A.
had that law today!

+++

1955
Cordelle, Georgia Anjette Lyles became rich after marrying and
then murdering her husbands and collecting the hefty life insurance
policies. She also bumped off family members too, including her 9 year
old daughter. Eventually the trail of corpses caught up to this Hoodoo
root worker gal. The newspapers dubbed her "Gay Widow Killer". During
her trial, she freely admiited to the murders and also revealed her
involvement in Voodoo. Police found dozens of "brand name" Voodoo
candles like "Van Van" and "Jinx Removing" in her house. She also
always carried roots with her, and saw a fortuneteller everyday.
Apparently money spells weren't her forte', which is why she resorted
to murder to make a living. She collected a total of $47,700 in
life insurance payouts over a period of about 4 years in addition to
the $190 a month widows pension the VA gave her. Not a small amount of
money for 1955. But she blew the money on boyfriends, a Cadillac...and
books and items on the occult (sound like someone you know?). Her magic
landed got her the death penality. She was later placed in the
Midgeville, GA asylum where she spent the rest of her life.

+++

1957
Naples, Italy Marianna Castellano was a "strega"...a witch, not the
kind you read about in Leland's Gospel of Aradia or books by Raymond
Grimassi which are modern inventions, but a genuine strega. Castellano
was hired by a client in 1937 to cast a spell on some of her relatives.
For the service Castellano charged the client $1 a month for the rest
of her life. But after the fall of Mussolini and WWII, a buck a month
just ain't what it used to be. Castellano demands more money. By 1957
the client decided she had paid enough and told the "strega" there
would be no more payments. Castellano the went to the deadbeat client's
home with a pan of burning gasoline to burn her alive...a case of
reverse witch burning! A struggle ensued, and Castellano wound up being
burned to death instead, however. The former client was acquitted on
grounds of self defense.

+++

1957
Vineland, New Jersey Puerto Rican farmhand, Juan Rivera Aponte, was
arrested and convicted for the murder of 13 year old Roger Carletto.
Aponte, raised on an island where Santeria and it's cousins abound just
like on Cuba, became smitten with his boss' 15 year old daughter.
Aponte set out to make the girl his love slave via sorcery. He found a
love spell in an old grimorie that called for the powdered skull of an
innocent boy. Aponte murdered Carletto for this purpose. Not only did
it not work, but he got a life sentence for murder. He died in prison
several years later. I recieved an email from the niece of Carletto who
said the parents never completely recovered from their son's death.

+++

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